E3 09: Nintendo Press Conference

Nintendo’s E3 keynote began and ended with big franchises, offered some nearly-instant gratification and teased some stuff from next year too.

They began the show by announcing New Super Mario Bros. Wii. The game emphasizes 4-player co-op, and includes Mario, Luigi and colored Toads as playable characters. (Nintendo reps couldn’t tell us if other characters are planned.) The game’s planned for this holiday season.

Wii Fit Plus, the rumored enhancement/sequel, was confirmed. The title has 15 new games, as well as six new strength and yoga activities. The game’s out this fall in both bundle and standalone varieties.

The company spent some keynote time showing off more of Wii Sports Resort, out July 26.

The Japanese Mario & Luigi 3 is being localized as Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story, launching this fall.

The proverbial megaton of the show was either of these two: Super Mario Galaxy 2…

…or Metroid: Other M, developed in conjunction with Team Ninja.

Both games are aiming for 2010 releases.

This wasn’t really a megaton, but it had press gasping. Let’s call it a miniton. Golden Sun DS, the long-awaited sequel in the Camelot RPG series, is slated for 2010.

Also among Nintendo announcements were Style Savvy, Flipnotes Studio, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (out next week on DSiWare!), WarioWare: DIY and a strange new peripheral: the Wii Vitality Sensor. No uses or release targets for that last one yet.